Given the sheer number of products that get unveiled at each CES, it’s of no surprise that some will shine a bit brighter than others, causing people to do a double-take or drop their jaws. This year, the first product to manage both of those for me is Kingston’s DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0, a flash drive that boasts not only a seriously long name, but huge storage. How does 1TB sound?

Let’s put this into perspective. About a year ago, I took a look at Kingston’s first-ever HyperX flash drive, weighing in at 64GB. At the time, that was in all regards impressive – though not quite as impressive as the 256GB offering the company also had. It’s not uncommon for technology to move at such a pace where densities can double each year, but I am not sure anyone expected Kingston to be announcing a drive today that quadruples last year’s top-end model.

Despite its massive storage, Kingston was able to retain a modest size with Predator. The 64GB DT HyperX I mentioned before came in at 2.95″ x 0.92″ x 0.63″. By comparison, the Predator is a tad shorter but also a tad beefier at the sides, at 2.83″ x 1.06″ x 0.83″.

Performance-wise, Predator boasts SSD-like throughput at 240MB/s read and 160MB/s write. These speeds make the Predator not only useful to store large files, but store large files fast.

At Predator’s retail launch, which should take place soon, only a 512GB model will become available. The 1TB model that I’ve been raving over will see its launch later in Q1. Unfortunately, the vital piece of information we’d all like to know isn’t yet available: pricing. Given the fact that Kingston’s smallest Predator offering is 512GB, we have to assume that these will not be consumer-focused, but are instead targeted at the business or workstation user. Either way, for what it offers, I think Predator is aptly-named.

http://techgage.com/ Marfig

*jaw drops*

I’m sure there should be something smart and insightful to say about this. But I’m still trying to close my mouth.

Andrew Hall

Finally a flash drive that can hold more than 15 movies that the PS3 can detect!

http://www.facebook.com/srfrgyharp Derrik Harp

you can with portable hard drives as well, you just need to change the formating of the disk. i believe its fat32

http://techgage.com/ Brett Thomas

at which point you can’t do HD movie s really, as FAT32 has a limit of 4GB/file :(

If this is anything like the 1TB SSD’s, then we’re possibly looking at a phenomenal failure rate here.

But heck, it’s Kingston, so we might actually have a rare gem here.

http://techgage.com/ Brett Thomas

It’s kingston – it has a good chance of NOT sucking. We’ve always been big fans of their products here, mostly cause they’re some of the most reliable on the market.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=823432397 Andrew DeLong

Like I said, we might have a rare gem, simply because it’s Kingston. Them and Corsair are generally some of the best flash-related producers on the market right now.

Rory Magowan

This is pretty ridic.
I’m more interested in seeing how low of a price someone can get a Sata 3 1TB SSD though and Sata 3 SSDs in general.

v_volker

This is only going to help the cost of solid state memory to go down.

Chris Smith

Wow at the friggn rate technology is moving in 10 years (or even less) we’ll see 1TB phones with 12GB of Ram or some crazy shit.

kalqlate

As Eames suggests in the movie Inception: “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.”

In ten years (ok, maybe more like 15 years), phones will be heading toward obsolescence as tiny TINY transceivers will be installed in the ear canal, picking up voice through bone vibration. Displays will be 4K or higher and transparent nanotube electronics etched on the inside of contact lenses with the outside being 4K or higher video capture electronics. Initially, the brains might be in a small, pocketable device that sends data and power wirelessly to the devices that might be optionally solar-powered, but very soon after that phase, CPU/GPU/Memory/Sensors/etc., will also be etched onto the lenses as in 10 to 15 years, chip fabrication will be producing chip features 16 to 32 times smaller using new techniques and materials than today’s processes, all the while being extremely low-power thus dissipating no uncomfortable or damaging heat. Within 5 to 10 years of that phase, people will be opting to have the electronics directly etched on their corneas. Upgrade? No problem. The cornea will just be resurfaced, and the upgraded electronics etched as quickly and as free of trauma as Lasik vision correction and will not interfere with normal vision but enhanced with new capabilities to give you super vision with infra-red sensing, binocular vision, and of course, Google Glasses version 11.2 augmented reality, which will by then be appropriately renamed Google Lens.

Bradley Haggerty

I really really really hope 4K becomes mainstream in less than 15 years. It should be already but for some reason 1080p displays started selling way too well.

http://www.facebook.com/deathspawner Rob Williams

Well, an entirely new infrastructure has to be put into place for 4K to become a reality. Many people can’t even watch 720p Netflix movies on a regular basis with their ridiculously limited ISP bandwidth. And then there’s the sheer horsepower that’s required both server and client-side. Even most computers today would struggle severely with true 4K video.

kalqlate

4K CONTACT LENSES.

http://twitter.com/TheFocusElf The Focus Elf

Absolutely, 10 years ago, I was an undergrad, and paid $400 for a 32 inch cathode-style television. 1080p projection style tvs in the 40+ inch market space sold for 3-5k. Flat profiles from 4-6k and up. I know the focus, much like the print industry has been on increasing the television quality seemingly at the expense of all other components, but that playing field has completely leveled. The 4k I was not aware of in 2000, but when this whole 1080p frenzy began, I remember looking into ultra HD, I think that was 2K at the time? This 4k stuff is neat, but I am very content with 1k =]

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003386080045 John doe

I give it 2 and a half years.

Tash Robinson

Does it have USB 3.0?

http://www.facebook.com/deathspawner Rob Williams

Yes, that’s what the 3.0 in its name represents.

http://www.facebook.com/ellimist Jacob Peterson

I’m pretty sure that’s referencing the fact that it exists in three dimensions

http://www.facebook.com/deathspawner Rob Williams

LOL, nice one.

http://twitter.com/yagmot yagmot

How exactly, Rob, is it aptly named?! What exactly does it prey on? I for one am sick and tired of these ridiculous product names.

http://www.facebook.com/deathspawner Rob Williams

It’s a grandiose name for a grandiose product. Plus, it preys on my desire to own one ;-)

That said, I couldn’t agree more, though I do think Predator sounds better than something like DTHPXPR3.0 1TB.

Mizzium

If youre seriously mad about product names you need to rethink some things.
Theyre obviously trying to draw in sales with exciting names, its marketing and things wont go back to what Rob Williams said.

VikVooVin

Dude no way man, I must have one!

anon-mix.tk

http://awesomehairtransplant.com/ Harris A

When can we expect to have this in market so every one can afford one. This is truly revolutionary if the speed is good.

Bradley Haggerty

It won’t be affordable. It’ll cost more than a high quality desktop.

Flash Expert

Data retention time? 4 years?

Morgester

£720 for the 512GB version. I think I will give it a miss.

http://www.facebook.com/1bullet2theheart Evan Token Stapleton

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

Chirs

This is not the first one, Victorinox has had a TB flash drive for over a year

http://www.facebook.com/deathspawner Rob Williams

The difference? You’ll be able to buy this one.

http://www.facebook.com/gustavodlp Gustavo De La Piedra

I remember seeing a 32MB flash drive relic a female friend of mine had, and still used, a couple of years ago

http://techgage.com/ Rob Williams

I got a “free” 64MB thumb drive (it was actually my first) with a $3,000 notebook purchase back in 2004. Now it just feels like an insult to injury.

badar wijaya

. what the price of this item

http://www.facebook.com/deathspawner Rob Williams

About $850 for the 512GB version. So we’d assume about $1,800 when the 1TB comes out.